NASA | Landsat Senses a Disturbance in the Forest

The video tutorial from Boston University's Department of Earth and Environment explores how numerical data is used to analyze landscape processes over time. It focuses on the Pacific Northwest, examining the effects of timber production, clear-cutting, and insect infestations on forests. The tutorial highlights the role of satellite imagery in understanding these changes and discusses the implications of forest management policies. The importance of numbers in predicting and understanding environmental processes is emphasized.

What is the primary tool used to analyze landscape changes over time?

• Weather balloons

• Satellite imagery

• Ground surveys

• Aerial photography

What happens to the soil signal after a clear-cut event?

• It disappears completely

• It becomes more visible over time

• It gets obscured as vegetation regrows

• It remains unchanged

How do bark beetle infestations appear in satellite imagery?

• As a blue color

• As a bright green color

• As a darkening of the image

• As a bright red color

What is the effect of the western spruce budworm on trees?

• It has no effect on the trees

• It causes the trees to grow faster

• It eats the buds or young needles

• It kills the trees immediately

Why is it important to use numbers in landscape analysis?

• To quantify and predict changes

• To create colorful images

• To make the process faster

• To avoid using satellite imagery